Lee's Summit Lowdown

Welcome to the Lowdown! I am so glad you’re here!

Happy Sunday, Lee’s Summit! 🍂

I spent part of this week in Washington, DC, where I wandered the Air and Space Museum and ate crab cakes at Old Ebbitt Grill. Those crab cakes were the highlight of the trip, and I’m not even a little sorry about it.

Then I came home and went to the farmers market Saturday morning, where it was absolutely freezing. Welcome back to Missouri, Jen.

This week we’ve got a local-favorite entrepreneur headed for national TV, a ballot question that lands in your trash can, and a calendar so packed with trunk-or-treats that your kids may never need to buy candy again.

Let’s get into it! 👇

📺 Cheer On Max Monday Morning

Long-time readers know I’m a Max fan. He’s been in the Lowdown before, and I have a Max Mix spice bottle he autographed for me (yes, I’m that fan).

Now Max is going national. Max Crawford, the Kansas City-area entrepreneur behind Max Mix Gourmet Spice Blends, is set to appear live on the TODAY Show during the 9 a.m. hour on Monday, Oct. 19, and the Lee’s Summit East Hy-Vee is throwing a watch party to cheer him on.

• When: 8 to 10 a.m. Monday

• Where: Market Grille at Hy-Vee, 301 NE Rice Rd

• Bonus: free donuts and coffee, plus breakfast deals from $4

Max started making spice blends as gifts for his teachers, and they’ve grown into a business sold in Hy-Vee stores across the Midwest. He’s genuinely one of the most inspiring people I’ve met. If you can swing by before work, go make some noise for him. If not, set your DVR.

Know someone who’d love to cheer for Max? Forward this to them. It takes ten seconds and they’ll thank you on Monday.

🗳️ On Your Nov. 3 Ballot: Who Picks Up Your Trash

This one isn’t flashy, but it lands right at your curb, so here’s what you need to know.

What you’re voting on: whether Lee’s Summit should move to one citywide residential trash hauler. Right now, about 10 companies serve residential trash, and each household or HOA picks its own.

What would change if it passes:

• The city would put out a request for proposals and contract with one company for residential service (homes up to fourplexes).

• You’d pay the hauler directly. The city says it won’t bill residents or manage accounts.

• If you have a problem the hauler doesn’t fix, you could call the city.

• HOAs that already contract their own service would have the option to opt in.

• Even if it passes, the City Council still has the final say on the contract.

What stays the same if it fails: you keep choosing your own hauler.

☀️ Good Things Happening Around Town

Teens teaching teens about medicine safety

A group of Lee’s Summit students is spending October making sure their classmates know the risks of misusing prescription and over-the-counter medicine. The Lee’s Summit CARES Teen Advocacy Group is taking part in a national prevention challenge and aims to reach about 500 local students, peer to peer. Lee’s Summit West student Isabel O’Kane, TAG’s youth president, says teens are simply more likely to listen to other teens. Hard to argue with that.

You can help, too: LS CARES is hosting a Drug Take-Back event Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (details in the lineup below). Clean out that medicine cabinet and drop off what you don’t need.

LSW Theatre meets Summit Tech’s studio crew

LSW Theatre performers spent a session at Summit Technology Academy’s Studio One, singing selections from their upcoming musical while the digital media students ran a full multicam production around them. Two more sessions are planned with the other Lee’s Summit high schools. If your kid is in either program, hit reply and tell me how the show turns out.

👀 Keeping an Eye On

SE Douglas is closed through Oct. 31 between SE 9th Street and SE Blue Parkway, with no SE 9th Street access from Douglas.

Todd George lane closures run through about Oct. 30 while MoDOT finishes sidewalk and signal work between the eastbound U.S. 50 ramp and SE 12th Street.

291 and 50 is still a work zone, with lane closures on U.S. 50 at MO 291 expected through Nov. 13.

🎸 Live & Local

Where the music is this week

Thursday, Oct. 22

• Addy Gardner at The Fillmore Cafe (700 Unity Way) | 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

• Jam / Open Mic at VFW Post 5789 (329 SE Douglas St) | 7 to 10 p.m.

• Soul Fundamentals with Julian Goff at The 1909 Club (25 SE 3rd St) | 7 to 10 p.m. Soul, funk and R&B.

• Scotty McBee at Iron Horse Bar & Grill (1012 SE Blue Pkwy) | 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 23

• Alex Abramovitz & His Swingin’ KC Band at The 1909 Club | 7 to 10 p.m. Kansas City swing and jazz.

• Dueling Pianos at Konrad’s Kitchen & Tap House (302 SW Main St) | 8 to 11 p.m.

• Chloe Rose at Llywelyn’s Pub (301 SE Douglas St) | 8 p.m. Folksy and soulful.

Saturday, Oct. 24

• The MGDs at The 1909 Club | 7 to 10 p.m. Seating is by reservation.

• Tom Myers at The Goat Brewing Co. (817 NE Rice Rd) | 7 to 10 p.m. Country and classic rock.

• Up From the Coop at VFW Post 5789 | 7 to 10:30 p.m. ’60s and ’70s classic rock.

• FreeLance Band at Konrad’s Kitchen & Tap House | 8 to 11 p.m.

• The Cowardly Lions at Llywelyn’s Pub | 8 p.m.

• Coyote Bill Band at Iron Horse Bar & Grill | 8 to 11 p.m. Blues, funky country and rock ’n’ roll.

📅 Weekly Lineup

Monday, Oct. 19

• Watch Max on TODAY | 8 to 10 a.m. at Hy-Vee (301 NE Rice Rd). Free donuts and coffee while we cheer on Max.

• Pub Quiz Trivia at The Goat Brewing | 7 to 9 p.m. at 817 NE Rice Rd. Free with a food or drink purchase.

Tuesday, Oct. 20

• Joint City Council & LSR7 School Board Meeting | 6 p.m. at Green Street Market (209 SE Green St). Updates on land for future schools, the bond projects, literacy, food services and housing. Open to the public.

• Sarah J. Maas Books Trivia | 7:30 p.m. at B&B Theatres New Longview 7. Free, all ages, prizes. Arrive early for a spot.

Wednesday, Oct. 21

• Downtown Lee’s Summit Farmers Market | 8 a.m. to noon at Green Street (209 SE Green St). Four market days left. Dress warmer than I did.

Thursday, Oct. 22

• LSPR Trunk or Treat | 5 to 7 p.m. at Legacy Park Amphitheater. Free, with local business booths and candy.

• Spooky Family Movie Night | Doors at 6 p.m., movie at 6:30 at Green Street. A free screening of Halloweentown. Bring chairs; Whistle Stop will have drinks and snacks.

• Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre | 6 to 9 p.m. at 9420 S Shrout Rd, Lake Lotawana. A comedic family-friendly mystery with a schnitzel dinner. $50, call 816-774-8462 to reserve.

Friday, Oct. 23

• Sports Spooktacular | 5:30 p.m. at Paragon Star (1401 NW River Rd). Free trick-or-treating, sports activities and a costume parade.

• Beetlejuice Puzzle Madness | 5:30 p.m. at Gamber Community Center. A two-hour jigsaw race for teams of 2 to 4. Top three teams win prizes.

• Pink Rodeo’s Wellness Round Up | Green Street Market (209 SE Green St). Start with ticketed outdoor mat Pilates from Body Bar Pilates at 5:45 p.m. (bring your mat, spots are limited), then shop 50+ local vendors from 7 to 9 p.m. The shopping is open to the public, with loaded teas from Diamond Nutrition and food trucks.

• Pokémon Play & Trade | 6 to 8 p.m. at Harris Park Community Center. $6 includes food and a drink. Ages 5 and up.

Saturday, Oct. 24

• Downtown Lee’s Summit Farmers Market | 8 a.m. to noon at Green Street.

• Trick or Treat at Hy-Vee | 10 a.m. to noon at 301 NE Rice Rd. Costumes encouraged.

• LS CARES Drug Take-Back | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Safely dispose of unused medications. Drive-thru at Lee’s Summit Police (10 NE Tudor Rd) or Lee’s Summit Medical Center ER entrance (2100 SE Blue Pkwy), or walk in at John Knox Village (Places Restaurant).

• Lee’s Summit Honda/Subaru Trunk or Treat | 1 to 3 p.m. at 401 NE Colbern Rd. Decorated trunks, a dog costume contest and face painting.

🤔 Lee’s Summit Trivia

Lee’s Summit started as an 11-block town. On Oct. 28, 1865, founder William B. Howard put the first town lots up for sale along the Pacific Railroad tracks. That tiny grid has grown to about 66 square miles.

So happy 161st lot-sale anniversary, Lee’s Summit. You’ve really filled out. 😜

One Last Thing

Confession time: my front porch has zero Halloween decorations. None. My Project Happiness sign is out in the yard doing all the heavy lifting, and honestly, it’s carrying the whole house.

I promise I’ll redeem myself at Christmas. In the meantime, I’m going to live vicariously through all of you. Hit reply and tell me the best-decorated house or street in Lee’s Summit. If I get enough good ones, I’ll round them up in a future issue so everyone can take a drive.

Thanks for being part of the Lowdown crew!

– Jen

 Editor, Lee’s Summit Lowdown

P.S. I’m one Wikipedia rabbit hole away from just making up Lee’s Summit trivia at this point. Save me from myself, if you know a weird or forgotten piece of local history, hit reply.

How did we do in this edition?

• 🏆 Blue Ribbon Worthy: Best issue yet.

• ☀️ Front Porch Worthy: A nice way to start my week.

• 🤷 Take It or Leave It: It was fine.

• 🚦 Stuck in Traffic: Kind of a slog today.

• 🙈 Missed the Mark: Not your best work.